Forensic Assessments

Highly Regarded Forensic Assessments

Deena McMahon, MSW, LICSW, has established a reputation for excellence in the area of forensic assessments. Her work is highly regarded by mental health professionals and attorneys. Judges find her assessments highly credible.

Ms. McMahon offers the following assessments:

Parenting Assessment — This assessment is performed to assist in planning for a child’s permanency placement. A parenting assessment is a required component of a case plan for parents who want to reunify with their children after they have been placed in foster care. It is also used to determine the child’s best interest in custody disputes.

Ms. McMahon provides a thorough parenting assessment that examines all the major life domains in terms of strengths and barriers of the parent-child relationships. The major life areas of the adults involved are also studied.

The parenting assessment includes observation of the parent-child relationship and a careful examination of the attachment relationship that the child exhibits with the parent. Parenting assessments can be done in the family’s home or in an office environment.

Ms. McMahon has performed parenting assessments in half the counties in Minnesota, from Thief River Falls to Yellow Medicine County and everywhere in between. She has also done assessments in Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas, California and Michigan.

Sibling Relationship Assessment — Ms. McMahon is frequently asked to assess the strength, health, and safety of sibling relationships from an attachment perspective. In contested placements and through divorce and adoption, siblings are often in the process of being separated, either because of family conflict or safety factors. In child welfare cases, a written report from a mental health professional regarding the sibling relationship is often required. Ms. McMahon provides thorough assessments that provide a strong basis for decision-making.

Attachment Assessment — This assessment evaluates the parent’s attachment to the child and the implications for long-term wellbeing. It includes recommendations to improve the attachment relationship and detailed descriptions of any existing impairments. It discusses the child’s resiliency features, mental health, and any history of trauma, abuse, or neglect.

For further information, please contact Deena McMahon at McMahon Counseling and Consultation Services.